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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · file · prune · charge · wax · rush · bear · wake

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. file — a tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. file — a line of people
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lean — thin
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — a price
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com